Quarantine Day #4. Time to open one of my souvenirs from Canada. This sample of Skeleton Key is a 2019 vintage. The beer pours visibly thick, oily black. The introvert carbonation lays a thin, chocolatey head that just covers the top and then melts away. The nose receives hefty molten dark chocolate, chocolate filled brownie, distinct dark rum and an inviting nuance of rum barrel. I can also pick faint vanilla, a suggestion of ginger and some licorice that obviously stems from star anise according to the list of ingredients. So far, so good. Well, it's much better than good, to be honest. My tongue is waiting to get the first sip impatiently. ... Oh my! What a thick, velvety nectar!  🖤  I detect overwhelming molten dark chocolate that pours seductively on the taste receptors. Licorice, star anise and cough syrup constitute a bold, even a bit arrogant amendment to the cocktail. A little bit of caramel malt features nicely on the sides of the tongue, accompanied by a whole bunch of spices of which I can identify, or imagine, vanilla, allspice, black pepper and nutmeg. Maybe ginger, as well. The list of ingredients specifies also other spices, such as cardamom, cinnamon and juniper berries that remain hidden to my senses. And not to forget about dark rum and rum-soaked oak barrel that bring in powerful, attractively warming aromas to this heavenly experience. The rum is a bit alcoholic which, with this robustness, is nothing but a big merit! 🖤🖤 The body is substantially robust. All the rich flavors combined with the robust body create an illusion of a massive nectar although the ABV is not more than 11.5 %. I know it's high but this would easily beat a 15-17 % beer in fullness. The beer finishes with abundant licorice and cough syrup that first dominate over other flavors. Dark rum, wet oak barrel and strong dark chocolate follow right behind the first slam of rum. The spiced medley of delicate vanilla, Oriental ginger and black pepper seasons the base of the aftertaste with novel dimensions. The aftertaste keeps the tastebuds in nirvana for a long time. The mouthfeel is really thick, full, attractively creamy and visibly slow-moving. The hefty licorice makes the mouthfeel also clearly medicinal. The various dimensions justify its richness and deep complexity. Moreover, the mouthfeel is fairly round and velvety as well as mature. Still further, the mouthfeel is a bit alcoholic, substantially barrel aged, nicely warming, distantly spiced and undoubtedly desserty. A huge beer that requires a right time, a right place, a right atmosphere and absolutely no rush. I have them all here. Perfect! 🖤🖤🖤